UPDATE: The MOST important thing you can do after signing, is sharing the petition on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and your family directly. Real change is going to take a lot of outside pressure.

On January 22nd, Associate Professor Jeffrey Burl in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department of Michigan Technological University published a 2-page open letter (on University letterhead no less) to the University Senate. He called on the Senate to publicly apologize for its recent resolution titled "Condemning Hate Speech, White Supremacy, and Ethnically and Racially Motivated Intolerance."

To be clear, the University Senate condemned white supremacy and this professor was personally offended enough to demand a public apology in a 2-page diatribe. In his letter, he essentially argues that racism does not exist but reverse racism does exist and that he (as a white male) is the *real* victim of discrimination.

As a Michigan Tech Alumni, as a former grad student TA who taught large classes of impressionable first year students for years, as a human being in the 21st century; I am offended. I know from personal experience how critical an accepting and comfortable environment is for Undergraduate students. His letter was full of racist views and ignorant statements that would make many if not most prospective students uncomfortable in his classroom. I felt gross just trying to read it. I can only imagine how his students will feel going forward having to sit in lectures for hours with him.

This kind of ignorance and hate does not belong at Michigan Tech nor any institution of higher learning. This petition is calling for his immediate termination. This petition also calls for a public statement from the University President, Dr. Richard J. Koubek, disavowing these views and reaffirming Michigan Tech's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

At this link is a copy of the Senate Resolution and Open Letter that Professor Burl sent. Read them for yourselves if you can stomach it.